Week 5 Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Ben Roethlisberger and 3 QBs to Sit

Because bye weeks are kicking in this week, there are only so many guys you can plug into your starting lineup. A good number of them have no business being fantasy starters, but one is forced to make do.

But that's not an excuse to make bad lineup decisions. One must be smart, especially with the big-point positions. One of those would be your quarterback spot, and the last thing you want to do is fill it with a QB who is doomed to fall flat in Week 5.

Hint: that means you shouldn't start one of the three guys listed below.

3. Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos

Not unlike a fire extinguisher, Kyle Orton should only be used in an emergency. Some owners out there might be willing to classify a bye week as an emergency, and thus might be willing to pencil Orton into their starting rosters.

Whatever you do, don't do it. Orton is as unpredictable as they come, and he's not likely to score many points against a San Diego Chargers defense that only Tom Brady has managed to get the better of.

At last check, Orton is not Tom Brady. In fact, he's barely better than Tim Tebow at this point.

Hence all the whining coming from the greater Denver area.

2. Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers

I have to admit, Alex Smith has been much better than I expected him to be this season. He has a 97.7 QB rating, and he's coming off a damn fine game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

What worries me about Smith is that...well, he's still Alex Smith. I don't trust him, and neither should you.

Especially not against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their pass defense is by no means impenetrable, but one thing you may have noticed is that their defensive line is much improved this year. They should have no trouble negotiating San Francisco's weak offensive line, and they will then negotiate with Smith directly.

Bruce Willis-style.

1. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

The good news is that Big Ben is supposed to play against the Tennessee Titans. The bad news is that he's going to be playing against the Titans.

We've attributed Tennessee's surprising success primarily to Matt Hasselbeck, but don't overlook what the Titans defense has been able to do. They rank in the top 10 in the league against both the run and the pass, and they've done a good job of putting pressure on the quarterback.

That's not something Big Ben wants to hear right now. His offensive line is atrocious, and any day he gets to walk out of the stadium without a limp is a good day.

So far, Big Ben hasn't had too many good days this year. Sunday will be no different.